I would have to say the biggest draw and commotion at this years NailPro “nails only” show in Pasadena was not the presence of multi talented singer/actress Anna Kendrick, but INM’s introduction of their Photobooth! Everyone from show regulars, top personalities- Katie Cazorla (the Painted Nail), to top competitors- Lorena Marquez & Chris Mans, to brand reps- Mami Griffin (Sha-Nail) & Morgan Haile (Morgan Taylor Lacquer) all stopped by INM‘s newest addition to their booth to flash their pearly whites along with some fun goofy props.

Not only was INM’s photobooth a huge draw, but so were the amazing nail demos they performed by top industry leader Lorena Marquez, and new competing protegee Chris Mans.

Also at NailPro Pasadena, was a challenge for the Guinness Book of World Records for fastest pink & white nails ever in history, to perform a full set in under 10 minutes- a truly remarkable feat!

In case you missed out on all the great deals on INM’s wonderful products, you can still check them out on their website: http://inmnails.com/

INM's president Garret Kellenberger showing some product to attendees.

INM Lovers

the lovely Lorena Marquez doing a demonstration

Chris Mans doing a demo

One of my personal favorite Fantasy Nail Art creations submitted for the competition! The theme was "Perfume"

I recently tried 2 of the Additives from CND‘s staple collection. I could not be more pleased with these pigments. I find Additives to be the easiest & most fun way to create an amazing gel ombre effect that will please All of your clients.

I’ve said it before, and I will re-state it again, I personally am OBSESSED with CND’s Additives!! They are so unique, and no other nail companies on the market are making anything similar. And I receive countless compliments and positive feedback from others whenever I use them in my manicures.

The 2 Additive colors I tried are:

Spectrum Shimmer: a chunky glittery pink/purple iridescent pigment.

Haute Pink: a deep rich hot magenta pink pigment.

For both swatches shown here, I buffed the Additive into the tacky layer of a black Shellac gel polish.

For more information on CND Additives, or any of their other products, check them out online at: http://www.cnd.com/

I recently got to try out more Awesome gel polishes from ENP Gella. I particularly love this line because they feature a shorter nail brush, which allows for a smoother and more controlled application. In addition to the shorter brush, these gels are the fastest curing on the market! Each coat cures in a REMARKABLE lightning fast 10 seconds!!

Macie #85565: a fine sparkling salmon pink glitter.

Lola #85547: an opaque mint green. I personally LOVE this shade. Also, not too many companies offer a similar shade on the marketplace.

Christine #85505: a light blue with gray undertones.

Grace #85533: a cute cornflower blue.

Ruby #85545: a multi- faceted shimmer gray.

Elissa #85569: egg yolk yellow.

Poppy #85571: a crisp Dutch orange.

Natalie #85528: a peacock teal.

Jade #85542: a grassy green.

Claire ## 85530: a royal blue with a subtle reflective purple sheen.

All swatches shown here are 2 coats, and were cured for an amazing 10 seconds each in an LED lamp.

I recently had the privilege of trying 2 of the awesome “Effects Top Coat Gels” from LUXIO by Akzentz.

These top coats can be used as the final step in your manicure to give a whole new look to your base gel color. For the swatches shown here, I used both Effects Top Coat shades over a Black base (Noir– from Luxio) and a White base (Polar from Luxio).

I recently had the privilege of trying out some lovely nude shades of gel polish from LUXIO by Akzentz. I found the formula on all of the gel colors to be quite thick and great, thicker than most gel polishes on the market, and this provided for a more smooth and controlled product application.

Delicate: a soft baby pink.

Neutral: a rich dusty rose.

Whisper: an opaque creamy nude skin tone shade.

Cremelle: a sheer creamy nude.

Each of the swatches shown are 2 coats of gel color, cured each for 30 seconds in an LED light.

I recently finished trying the last of the Fall 2013 collection of Cuccio Colour Veneer gel polishes. I was very pleased with the formula on all of the colors, with a few shades in particular I like to call “1 coat Wonders.”

See it all in Montreal: ballet slipper soft natural baby pink.

Turkish Delight: flamingo rose pink.

Rio Carnival: sparkling fiery orange bronze.

St. Barts in a Bottle: true perfect aqua/ cerulean blue. reminds me instantly of the ocean and the beach; vacation in a bottle- truly.A “1 coat Wonder”– only required a single coat & the color was perfectly rich and opaque. This can in effect save half the time of a manicure!

Argentinian Aubergine: bright plum. A “1 coat Wonder!” only requires a single coat and is fully opaque.

On the Nile Blue: scintillating midnight blue. A “1 coat Wonder!” only requires a single coat and is fully opaque.

All swatches shown here have 2 coats of gel, cured each for 30 seconds in an LED lamp. I find all Cuccio Colour Veneergel polishes to have an excellent smooth self-leveling formula that doesn’t run or drip.